𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 | 𝐡. 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝟗𝟕 - 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐞

𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙖𝙧 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙, there was still one thing they could look forward to - Weasley's Wizard Wheezes - Fred and George's new practical yet magical joke shop that had opened on the main street of Diagon Alley, and even though all the other shops had bordered up their windows rather hastily, their stock growing dust on the shelves the Weasley's shop was bursting at the brim with life.

It's utter madness: Ever-Bashing Boomerangs whip through the air, Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start No-Heat fireworks spit sparks, and Nose-Biting Teacups bare tiny porcelain teeth. Harry found himself rather at peace within the chaos, even throughout the chaos at least he could count on the Weasley Twins to be themselves. The group of them managed to shuffle further into the tightly packed sardine can isles, spotting the Twins in all their glory selling to the bustling hordes of students.

"Step up! Step up!" they called out in sync, "We've got Fainting Fancies, Nosebleed Nougats...And just in time for school...Puking Pastilles!"

As though on cue, a first-year puked into a cauldron that was conveniently placed by the stall for that particular commodity, he turned to the group of them and despite being literally pale green grinned as he handed Fred a handful of golden coins.

The twins jumped down from the step to stand on either side of Harry.

"What'd you think, Harry?" asked Fred eagerly.

Harry grinned back at them, "Amazing!"

"Pocket that and you'll pay in more than Galleons, my friend." said George to a browsing boy that Harry hadn't even noticed, Fred looked at him too and as though they understood what cue they were on said simultaneously "We've got eyes in the back of our heads."

The boy, working a screaming yo-yo, blanches as Fred and George turn, revealing they do in fact have eyes in the back of their heads -- phoney, but unnerving. At the sight of the eyes winking at him, the tiny boy bolts, once he moves Harry was able to see a display that looked rather darker than the rest of the fluorescent colours.

"Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder?" he read aloud as he got closer to have a closer look at the merchandise.

"A real money-spinner that." said George, "Handy if you need to make a quick escape." he said plopping a couple of lumps into Harry's hand, he turned around to notice a rather large display that was fluorescent pink filled with hundreds of doses of "Wonder Witch Love Potions." and there were a small gaggle of girls amongst them including Ginny, Hermione and Lavender who was making flirtatious small talk with Ron, upon stepping closer to read the warnings on the label he spotted a familiar face staring intently at him while holding one of the larger bottles of the potions.

Romilda Vane.

Harry's demeanour changed instantly, as he felt his spine tighten his posture and his face hardening, a shudder ran down him like he had been exposed to the cold.

There was nothing that anyone could say that could ever make him look at her without a bad taste poisoning his mouth, then suddenly there was a sharp slap and Romilda dropped the potion back into the display, Harry looked back up again to see Vivian standing there looking rather unimpressed while Romilda stared up at her in horror, as though she had been summoned by a god - or Phee.

"Getting desperate are we?" asked Vivian sourly, giving her a look of utter disdain.

"I wasn't going--I was just looking--" Romilda stammered, completely horrified that she had the misfortune of coming across the Le Fay's again - especially so soon after the funeral.